How to Sanitize Your Home After a Rodent Infestation

Precision Environmental, an environmentally conscious pest control company based in California, receives countless calls a year for the extermination of pesky critters such as termites and bed bugs, and for the removal of hazardous materials like mold and lead. But, what many people don’t realize is that sometimes extermination is a two-step process that involves removal and sanitation. This is particularly true when it comes to rodents, says Jon Nelson, the company’s general manager.

It is just as important to remove the bacteria and viruses associated with rats and mice as it is to get the rodents out of your home, he explains. Because, even after the furry creatures are long gone, the germs they leave behind can, and will, linger.

What You Should Do

Usually, a dead giveaway that you have a rodent of some type in your home are the droppings they leave behind. If you have a mouse or rat problem, chances are they have gone to great lengths to remain unseen, either by hiding behind walls or keeping their activity to a minimum until your family is asleep. And, since you rarely see the creatures themselves, it can be difficult to conclude where they have traveled, says Nelson. That is why it is particularly important that you completely search your home once you are sure you have had the rodents properly exterminated.

Check your insulation as well as your heating and cooling systems. Mice and rats tend to make their nests inside HVAC systems, he says. Since you rarely, if ever, clean the vents in your home, you probably aren’t aware of any rodents that may have died in the vents or left behind droppings.

It’s also important that you thoroughly examine all of your food, suggests Nelson. It is better to be safe than sorry, he adds. If you come across food that is open or isn’t sealed completely, then you should assume that the rodent in your house has been inside. You definitely never want to consume anything that could have been touched.

The Risks

According to Nelson, when rats and mice walk on your floors, inside your cabinets and on your countertops, they leave long strands of bacteria and viruses behind. Additionally, harmful infections come from their pellets that, when inhaled, can cause deadly illnesses.

The most serious of the viruses, he says, is the hantavirus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classifies the illness as a potentially deadly virus that is contracted by humans when they come in direct contact with a rodent who carries the disease or their urine and droppings. In general, the hantavirus presents itself similarly to the flu, and symptoms typically consist of coughing, nausea and shallow breathing. While the infection is not contagious from human to human, there are few treatments for the virus and infected individuals must be admitted to the hospital.

Professional Sanitation

To rid your home of the potentially fatal side effects of the hantavirus or any rodent-related illness, Nelson strongly recommends having all surfaces in your home properly sealed and sanitized. When specialists from Precision Environmental visit a home, they start by blocking the entrances to your home that the rodents likely entered through. Then, using elevated heat temperatures, they are able to kill any viruses and bacteria that were left behind.

Once the process is completed — usually in less than a day- you and your family can safely return to your home.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.